Adsorption hysteresis in nanopores

Capillary condensation hysteresis in nanopores is studied by Monte Carlo simulations and the nonlocal density functional theory. Comparing the theoretical results with the experimental data on low temperature sorption of nitrogen and argon in cylindrical channels of mesoporous siliceous molecular sieves of MCM-41 type, we have revealed four qualitatively different sorption regimes depending on the temperature and pore size. As the pore size increases at a given temperature, or as the temperature decreases at a given pore size, the following regimes are consequently observed: volume filling without phase separation, reversible stepwise capillary condensation, irreversible capillary condensation with developing hysteresis, and capillary condensation with developed hysteresis. We show that, in the regime of developed hysteresis (pores wider than 5 nm in the case of nitrogen sorption at 77 K), condensation occurs spontaneously at the vaporlike spinodal while desorption takes place at the equilibrium. A quantitative agreement is found between the modeling results and the experimental hysteresis loops formed by the adsorption-desorption isotherms. The results obtained provide a better understanding of the general behavior of confined fluids and the specifics of sorption and phase transitions in nanomaterials.